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Ata Hussain Khan

Ata Hussain Khan

Ali Akbar Khan
Ustad Ata Hussain Khan was known for his prolific compositions in Hindustani Classical music. He authored a number of bandishes in Ragas like Samant Sarang, Patdeep and Mirabai ki-malhar in the Agra-Atrauli style. He was trained by his father Ustad Mehboob Khan, who was more popularly known as `Daraspiya`. Mehboob Khan gave his son a sound talim. Ata Hussain later shifted to Baroda, where he received further training from Ustad Faiyaz Khan. He remained Faiyaz Khan`s faithful follower for 25 years.

He was appointed as a music teacher in Bhatkandeji`s music school in Baroda. He was a very systematic teacher. Pandit Bhatkandeji used to refer to him as `Sangeet-ke-Ratan`. Ata Hussain was blessed with a prodigious memory. He could sing any number of rare bandishes from memory. He was ascetic by nature and publicity-shy and remained a saint musician of extraordinary talent. Some of his outstanding disciples are Sharafat Hussain Khan, Maujud Hussain Khan, Sohan Singh, Rama Rao Nayak, Hamid Hussain Khan, Rajnikant Desai and Shafi Ahmed Khan.